Maha Speaker to hear disqualification pleas by Sena factions next week

Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Friday said he will hear next week the disqualification petitions filed against each other by rival Shiv Sena factions led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court directed Narwekar to spell out the timeline within a week for adjudication of the disqualification petitions filed against Shinde and his Sena MLAs who tied up with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form a new government in June 2022, saying apparently nothing has been done so far despite its direction for deciding the pleas within a reasonable time.

The hearing on the disqualification pleas will be early next week, Narwekar told PTI without elaborating on the dates.

Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Narwekar had said on Thursday that he won't delay the decision on the disqualification pleas of some Sena MLAs but wouldn't rush into it either as it may result in miscarriage of justice .

Last week, Narwekar began hearing the disqualification petitions filed against each other by rival Sena factions led by Shinde and Thackeray.

A total of 34 petitions are being heard.

Both factions are being represented by their respective lawyers.

In July, Narwekar had issued notices to 40 MLAs of the Shinde-led Sena and 14 of the Thackeray faction, seeking their replies on disqualification petitions against them.

The notices were issued against 54 MLAs, including CM Shinde and Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Aaditya Thackeray.

But notice was not issued against Sena-UBT MLA Rutuja Latke who was elected after the Shiv Sena split last year.

Sunil Prabhu, in his capacity as the chief whip of the undivided Shiv Sena, had filed the disqualification petitions against Shinde and 15 MLAs last year after they rebelled and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government in June 2022.

On May 11 this year, the Supreme Court ruled that Shinde will continue to be the CM of Maharashtra.

The apex court also said it cannot reinstate the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government headed by Uddhav Thackeray as the latter chose to resign without facing a floor test in the wake of Shinde's rebellion.